This invention relates generally to the field of marketing pharmaceutical products, and more specifically to a pharmaceutical marketing device and system which enables the pharmaceutical company to communicate effectively with the persons involved in the use and dispensing of the product, e.g., the prescribing physician or prescriber, the patient or recipient, and the pharmacist or dispenser.
Various devices for marketing and testing pharmaceutical products are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,547 (Burke) discloses a composite prescription form comprising five individual parts, including a detachable part to be used as a prescription label, another which is used as a stack label, a third part constituting the prescription, a fourth part which is a copy of the original prescription and a fifth part secured to the patient's prescription ledger card. This form is intended to reduce the average amount of time used by pharmacists in filling a prescription.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,418 (Bolnick) comprises a multi-segment form with labels. The first and second label segments contain information identifying the patient participating in a drug study, the drug being tested and other study information. The third label contains hidden information on whether the particular patient has been prescribed a drug or a placebo. The hidden information may be uncovered by the physician if the patient's condition deteriorates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,404 (Vasquez) discloses a label bearing container holding clinical products such as blood products. The label can be removed and attached to the patient's chart to indicate that the clinical product was administered to the patient.
Various other devices for marketing products are known including a prescription form which incorporates a sample of the drug to be administered; as well as other composite marketing devices, such as those used in the sale of photographic film, which incorporate a mailer to return the exposed film to the company for processing.
However, the prior art does not disclose a marketing device and system which is capable of establishing and maintaining communications between the pharmaceutical company or its designated representative, e.g., a marketing company or a database company, and the physician, patient, and pharmacist involved in the prescribing, use and dispensing of the drug. This device and system increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the marketing program for the drug by enabling the pharmaceutical company to communicate information about the drug and/or related disease state and to continuously follow-up with the physician, patient and pharmacist regarding effectiveness of the drug, side effects, dosages and other factors such as providing patient education and improving patient compliance involved in the treatment of the patient with the drug and to control sampling distribution and cost.